Clutch



C. D. RYAN May l, 1945.

CLUTCH Original Filed April 29, 1940 m Y IVW... Ely W x59 .El

` |NvENToR C'ommodoie Ryan BY y 2M/La f/g M RNEYS.

Patented May 1, 1945 to `Commercial Controls ration of Delaware A,

Corporation, 'afcornof original applicationnpil 29, .1940, 'serial' No. V332,305. Divided and 1this application July .8, ,1942,.seria1No.450,155. p

This invention relates `to a clutch mechanism :andmore particularly tozan'overrunning clutch.

:One vol? :the :objects :of this :invention is `to provide .a sturdy and yelicient 'clutch `capable lof a variety of uses and particularly adapted to cycli-v caloperation ofoneirotation per cycle, Another object is to provide an overrunning clutch incorporating bearing and wedging elements having high Wear resistance qualities. Another object is to providean overrunning clutch having wedging elements which are adapted to engage at diierent portions each time the clutch is engaged. Another object is to provide a clutch of the above nature Which is compact and easy to install. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claim. Y

This application is a division of the application of Frank P. Sagers Ernest R. Bergmark,y Commodore D, Ryan and Herschel L. Atherton, Se'- rial No. 332,305, filed April 29, 1940.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmental sectional view of the clutch and its attached parts.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken substantially in the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially in the plane of line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially in the plane of line 5--5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of one ofthe wedg'ing elements and its bearing disc to illustrate the offset relation of these parts.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

With reference to Figure l my clutch is generally indicated at 38 and includes three equally spaced clutch rollers 50 (Figures 3, 5, 6) acting 'between the inner periphery of driving clutch ring 39 (Figure 5) and bearing discs 5| which discs are freely seated upon the wedging surfaces v52 formed on the driven member 53 of the clutch.

A roller retaining member 54 (Figure 3) is provided to control the position of the clutch rollers 50 with relation to the wedge surfaces 52 formed on the clutch driven member 53 and to thereby control the engagement and release of the clutch.

'Ilhe 4clutch roller discs-.51| .are mounted Lin olf- :set'relation with ,respect fto `rollers .50 `as .shown most clearly in `Figure 6 to ,causea slight ,rotation of these ,discs each time Athe clutchisengaged. The iroizationioiV discs 5 I .with Vtheengage- :ment .of .the clutch `.presentsfa new` surface. against y vwhich :the rollers will vwedge each'time theclutch is engaged, therebyireducing the wear on `the discs and preventing the rollers from seating in.

As a further advantage in this arrangement, the discs 5I may be formed of high quality hardened steel and transmit the driving force to the wedge surfaces 52 of the driving member through a relatively large surface of contact, thereby greatly prolonging the life of this member.

The release and engagement of the clutch is controlled by rotating the roller retaining member 54 with respect to the clutch driven member 53. A clutch spring 55 (Figure 2) acts to urge the roller retaining member 54 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 3 and 5 to advance the rollers and discs outwardly along the wedgev surfaces of the driven member until the rollers enter into wedging engagement with the inner periphery of clutch ring 39. To provide the necessary room for clutch spring 55, flange 5B is cut away in the manner illustrated at 51 in Figures 2 and 4 and flange 55 is provided with a spring pin 58 extending from its side face to which one end of Spring 55 is secured. The opposite end of spring' 55 is connected to the spring pin 59 extending from the side face of the roller retaining member flange 60. As previously pointed out, the clutch spring acts between the driven member 53 (Figure 5) and the roller retaining mem-` ber 54 to continuously urge the rollers into driving engagement with the clutchl ring 39, The

v resistance of the mechanism driven by the clutch governs the wedging action of the rollers during the driving operation. The drivenmember 53 is connected to hub 6| of flange 56 bymeans of a headed driving pin 62 as shown in Figures 1-5 inclusive; and the hub is in turn keyed tp the main drveshaft 22 by means of aytaper pin `|53 (Figure 1). v

The driving clutch is normally maintained disengaged by means of a clutch control lever 26 which engages a. stop lug 65 (Figure 4) formed on the periphery of the roller retaining member flange 60. By this engagement the roller retaining member 54 is stopped in its rotation, releas-v ing the clutch rollers from their wedging engagementwith the clutch driving ring 39. A stop lug 66 is formed on the periphery of flange 56 and may be engaged by the clutch control lever as i plete cycle desired to stop the rotation of the clutch and mechanism driven thereby.

Means are provided to prevent reverse rotation of ange 56 when the clutch is disengaged and this means (Figure l) may include a stop disc 22a secured upon the rear endof shaft 22 by means of taper pin 22h. The stop disc is provided with a stop shoulder (not shown) which shoulder is engaged by the free end of a stop pawl (notI shown). Ihis mechanism which prevents reverse rotation of ange 55 when the clutch is disengaged is shown and described in detail in the above-noted Sager et. al. application.

The clutch will remain in its disengaged condition as long as the stop lugs 65 and 66 (Figure 4) are held against rotation by the clutch control lever. The disengagement of the control lever from the stop lugs B5 and 66 Will permit the clutch spring 55 (Figure 2) to advance the vroller retaining member 54 and to thereby return the clutch rollers intowedging engagement with the clutch driving ring 39, in the manner previously described to drive the machine through a comof operation. Upon the completion of this cycle of operation'the stop lugs 65 and 66 (Figure 1) will again contact the clutch control lever to disengage the clutch and stop the driven mechanism of the machine.

It will thus appear that I have provided a clutch capable of fulfilling the several objects noted hereinabove in a thoroughly practical and ecient manner.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter here'd inbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to `be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In an'overrunning clutch, in combination, a

' driving member, a driven member, said driven member having a wedging surface formed thereon which surface is at and lies in aplane parallelto the axisof rotation of said driven member, a Wedging roller disposed between said members adjacent said wedging surface, and `a bearing disc freely disposed between and in engagement with 'said Wedging surface and said wedging roller, said Wedging roller and said bearing disc being arranged in off center relationship Whereby rotation of said roller rotates said disc.

COMMODORE D. RYAN. 

